One person is dead and almost two dozen others are injured after a car drove through a crowd of people in New York City's Times Square today, according to the FDNY. Witnesses say the maroon Honda Accord drove the wrong way through traffic before mounting a curb and striking pedestrians, finally coming to rest atop a set of curb-mounted crash barriers.
Horrific photos from the scene show the smoking, badly-damaged Accord resting against a set of steel bollards, with groups of people clustered around the victims lying on the sidewalk. Police say the number of injured could rise as more people are processed at area hospitals.
According to reports, the alleged driver is 26-year-old Richard Rojas, a Bronx resident and U.S. citizen with a history of DWI. He reportedly tried to flee in the chaotic aftermath, but a group of witnesses were able to hold him down until police arrived; video from the scene shows him being led into a patrol car by a group of officers. Police told the New York Times that he appeared to be intoxicated at the time, and they do not believe the incident was terror-related.
BREAKING VIDEO: Times Square accident suspect being arrested by the NYPD. At least 13 injured and 1 dead. pic.twitter.com/XabXQnNqT8
— NewsCenter HQ (@NewsCenterHQ101) May 18, 2017
"People were being hit and rolling off the car," witness Josh Duboff told Reuters, adding that he jumped out of the way to avoid being struck.
"He was driving very fast," street vendor Karma Namgyal told Fox News. "He was going the wrong way up the street and drove onto the sidewalk. He started hitting people. They were flying in the air. He plowed through them. The people he hit were face down. Everyone else started screaming. It was all fast."
1 patient pronounced dead at scene, 4 critical, 3 serious, 15 less serious at 45th/Bdwy vehicle incident -#FDNY Comm pic.twitter.com/RjRzgq8aFL
— FDNY (@FDNY) May 18, 2017
The incident put one of the world's busiest intersections on lockdown. Times Square receives hundreds of thousands of visitors every day, and social media instantly lit up with messages and warnings about the crash.
just witnessed a car running people over in times square. scariest moment of my life.
— Michael Rickerby (@MichaelRickerby) May 18, 2017
what is wrong with some people?!
What's happening in Times Square?? This car was in the sidewalk and people are on the streets pic.twitter.com/PsepRtfrAr
— gb (@gb__) May 18, 2017
Vehicle just drove on sidewalk Times Square on 7th between 42nd/43rd, People down. Police on scene. Buildings in lock down, including ours
— David Shuster (@DavidShuster) May 18, 2017
Times Square just went nuts. People screaming and running, the place is swarming with emergency vehicles and cops. People injured. WTF pic.twitter.com/oqQFcr75Uh
— Josh Silverman (@Bad_Episode) May 18, 2017
We'll update this post with additional information as the story develops.